Like Spinning Plates
by s n u c k
Summary: And Sora will later wake up alone, wondering where his teddybear went. [ self mutilation . odd content . chapter 8 loaded . revived ]
1. wAKE uP cALL

Well, here goes. First fanfiction here. Hope you guys likey! Please R&R

Sora: She made me goth. 0.0

Riku: I'm **always **Mr. Perfect. o.0

Kairi: I'm a whore! Tee hee

.

Wakka: I come in later... you don't want to know what I am...

Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts

Warnings: Self-Mutilation, Shounen-Ai, Enough Romance to Rot Your Brain, Character Bashing, Violence, Attempted Rape (Later Chapter )

Pairings: RikuxSora, RikuxKairi, LeonxSora, CloudxAeris, SephirothxCookies

---

Chapter One: Wake up call

_Beep Beep Beep _

Gaah, stupid alarm clock. It always goes off whenever I'm having a good dream. Shifting my weight onto my elbows, I continue to listen to the sound. It's sort of calming after you've listened to it's beeping noise over fifteen times. I lay there for a good ten minutes before the evilness of my sister shows up in the doorway.

"Hey, Riku, you bone-head! You're gonna be late for school!" says Yuffie, crossing her arms over her chest. I moan and stuff my face into my pillow. I'm tired.

"Huuuuuuurry!" Yuffie tosses an old, worn out sock at me and I sit up in my bed. Her childish grin is spread across her round face. She'd probably be older looking if she grew out her hair. It's almost in a mushroom cut, which makes her look like a turtle.

"Go awaaaay," I groan, shoving the disgusting sock off of my bed. It was probably one of hers. I was too much of a neat freak to wear something like that.

"Ooooh! Riku's afraid of a sock!" says Yuffie, holding her small hands over her face, acting surprised.

"Bitch," I say, flinging a pillow at her. It hits her dead on in the face, nearly knocking her over.

"Gih! Your pillow is so freaking hard!" she says, picking the pillow off of the ground. She tossed it back at me, and I grabbed it in mid-air. "Did you put rocks in it or something?"

"Well, I know this 7 foot ostrich..." I say, putting the pillow back to it's assigned spot on the bed. She fakes a laugh and goes storming down the stairs. That's Yufe, for ya. Always over-dramatic.

I jump off my bed, my platinum hair just grazes my cheek. The girls at school seem to think my hair is pretty, but I think it makes me look like a geezer. I have so many other features besides my hair. My toned muscles, chiseled jaw, emerald eyes... I find it kind of funny that a girl would just notice my hair. Well, I guess it could be striking because it's silver. Whatever.

"Riku, what do you want for breakfast!?" yells Yuffie's voice from down the stairs.

"Toast," I reply, just loud enough for her to hear. Yuffie would probably make it extra crispy. Yuffie couldn't cook very well. She could burn cold cereal with her temper. She was just really good at playing dodge-ball and floor hockey, which made up for it. I loathe her for that, because I'm only really excelling at soccer. Curse her.

I cross the hallway into the bathroom I share with Yuffie. Her stuff is on the left, mine on the right. Her corner's really crowded with girly stuff though. I don't know how she manages being so messy. I quickly strip off my clothes and turn on the shower, as hot as it will go. Our house is always freezing in the mornings, due to the cool, island breeze that comes in off of the ocean. I step into the shower, the hot water burns into my flesh. Just the way I like it. Scalding is the best.

Minutes later I'm fully dressed and tearing down the stairs, and I await my burnt breakfast from my beloved sister, Yuffie. She meets me halfway through the kitchen, a dumbass grin across her face. She shoves a dark-brown piece of bread in my mouth, smothered in butter. "Fancks," I mumble through my full mouth. Next, she shoves my heavy backpack into my hands. Half-done homework be in there. I'm not up-to-speed because of my extra-curricular activities. Dammit, I'm going to need a tutor or something weird like that. The last tutor I had tried to get me to go out with her. Creepy. I think I'm grinning or something, because Yuffie's staring at me. But then I remember I have toast in my mouth. "You've got butter running down your chin, bone-head." I wipe my mouth with my left hand, swinging my backpack onto my shoulders with the other. I quickly finish my toast, and follow my sister into the cramped living room.

"You'd better hurry to, Yufe. We go to the same school ya know," I say. She's a year younger than me. I'm eighteen, she's seventeen. But sometimes she acts thirty. She's an early riser, she's always cheerful, likes to do things other than hang out all the time; she could be like an aunt or something.

---

"Hey, Riku! Yuffie!" says a familiar, happy voice. I turn to find Tidus and Selphie grinning at us. It's Tidus talking, though. The kid is a pretty good skateboarder, I must admit. His baggy, ripped up jeans, black hoodie and pierced eye-brow kind of proclaim it, I guess. Selphie is a complete girly-girl, one of the most popular girls in the school. It's because she hangs around with Snob-Queen Kairi, who happens to be my girlfriend. I don't know why I even agreed; wait, I didn't agree. She forced it on me, because I'm 'the hottest guy in the school!'. Scary.

Tidus grins, throwing his skateboard down on the ground and following our quick walk and Selphie began to speak; "Didja know we have a new kid at our school? He's joining in the middle of the year, it's kindof stupid. Weird, huh?" She speaks like a twelve year old. Tidus and Selphie are both 17, and act like they're teeny-boppers playing in the ocean. Tidus' skateboard rolls steadily behind us, and I can hear the wheels swerving around every so often.

"New kid, huh? How old is he?" I ask, keeping my walk at a steady pace. My clothes are a little bit more clean-cut than everyone else's. Just a plain, white, collared shirt and black pants. Nothing special. Just school clothes. Yuffie jumps up on the balls of her feet and springs onto a ledge, balancing by keeping both arms out.

"Why, Riku? You want him in your class, you prep! You always have to watch the new kids. It gives you extra credit and all that," says Yuffie. Prep? Me, prep? No waaaaay. I'm more like a... a... fine, I'm a prep. Stupid sister...

"I think he's sixteen. But, he's skipped a grade or two, so he's in your home-room and grade, Riku!" chimes Selphie. I moan. I don't want some clap-happy little freak in my home-room, messing up my life.

---

Well, he wasn't exactly what I expected. A short yet lanky kid stands infront of the class, headphones sitting on his shoulders, next to his neck. A long black cord is connected to some type of music-player in a black shoulder bag. His clothing is odd for a kid on a tropical island; black baggy pants (Another classmate named Zell says they have frog pockets), an elbow-sleeved, striped shirt, covered by a black T-shirt, fishnet gloves with studded wristbands, a striped crimson and black scarf, a studded belt and a matching studded collar and to top it all off he's wearing combat boots. Big, black combat boots.

"This is... Sora, people," says our home-room teacher. Her name is Rinoa Heartilly. She's the nicest person in the whole school, I think. Except for the Chemistry teacher, Merlin. He's a bit of a crack-pot though. Never mind the 'bit' part. "Try to make him feel welcome. He's from a different part of the island. Riku, you'll be helping him around." Miss Heartilly tells Sora to sit by me. I mentally groan. Not another babysitting job. Sora does as he's told. He's going to fit right in with the 'gothic' kids. Yeah, we have more of them. All though, they're too 'angst filled' to hang out with us. Stupid posers. He was probably just another one. Cut himself. Complained a lot. You know, the whole shebang.

Sora sits down beside me, his wide blue eyes focussed on the teacher. His spikey, chocolate brown hair is a bit distracting. Up close I notice his long, black eyelashes. Mascara? His eyes are outlined with some black paint. He looks like an Egyptian king, rising out of his tomb. Freaky. He turns his face towards me.

"What the fuck are you gawking at?" he asks, his tone sharp and cocky. I mentally smirk. Let's be fun with him.

"Nothing. You just stick out like a sore thumb at this school, that's all. Why don't you hang out with the rest of the Goth-poser kids?" I say, faking a sweet smile. Sora raises one eyebrow.

"You actually have those? I pity you," he says, snapping his head back towards Miss Heartilly.

"Problem, boys?" asks Miss Heartilly. I shake my head.

"We're just discussing some things, nothing much," I say, smiling as widely as my lips let me. Sora glanced over at me, his eyes cold and menacing.

"Good," she says, reviewing our facial expressions, "I want you to miss your next class, I've already asked Mr. Leonhart about it, to get Sora used to the school. He should have his time table with him so you can show him his classes..."-Sora nods- "...oh good you do. Anyway, just get some introducing done and I'm sure you two will be good friends." The bell rang to get us moving to our classes. I jump right out of my desk. Sora looks at me one eyebrow raised as he gets out of his own desk smoothly. I grab him by the wrist and drag him out of the class.

"Do you have mental problems?" he asks, as I let go of him in the now-crowded hallway. A few of my fan-club girls are giggling as I corner the new kid, slamming him into a locker.

"Look, I don't feel like putting up with you're 'Oh, I'm so depressed' B.S. Lots of kids are like this. They want attention. So, I suggest you shape up before everyone hates you, or you can go hang out with the rest of the Gothic wannabes," I say, quickly and strictly. I think Sora just smirked. Yeah, he did.

"I never asked for attention, did I? I never said I depressed, did I? Maybe I just like the way I dress. Once again, I pity you for having 'Goths' in your school. The kids probably don't even know who a 'Goth' even is. Your inferior mind is really quite amusing me," he says. I slam him against the locker again, leaving a bit of a dent. He winces slightly, but the smirk stays plastered on his adorable face. Did I just think he was adorable? Woah, I'm straight. I have a girlfriend, after all. But he's getting on my freaking nerves. A few kids are gathering around us, but I keep my voice to a low roar so no one can hear exactly what I'm saying.

"Inferior, huh? You're such a fucktard. I know your freaking kind. You just like attention. You're begging for it with those clothes. We're on a tropical island, dipshit," I say. He still smirks.

"Again, I like the way I dress," he says. Dammit, I hate him already. He doesn't even look rattled by my constant slamming of him against the locker.

"What, don't tell me you're suicidal too?" I say, not really following myself any more.

"Actually yes. I am sometimes. But that's not any of your business why," he says. Dammit. Another poser. I just figured him out. I smirk this time.

"Why are you suicidal? Is mommy not spoiling you enough?" I say. Sora suddenly punches me in the face. I'm shook by the blow, stumbling backwards into the crowd. A few of the girls scream in horror and run to comfort me. Sora pushes his headphones back to his ears and turns off down the corner, leaving large black scuff marks from his boots. I shake my head in confusion and tear after him. He's a fast walker. I grab him by the shoulder, my lip bleeding and I'm panting. "Slow down. Sorry for that last comment." Sora turns around to look at me. His lips are shaking slightly.

"I'm sorry for hitting you. It was uncharacteristic of me," says Sora, taking his headphones off. What's blaring out of them... wait, is that Opera? Never mind. It's soon blanked out by another loud bell, and all of the footfalls. The noise starts to become clear again when the last door is shut, and all of the others are in class.

"Well, it's okay. I think I should have kept back the comments. Sorry bout that," I say, trying to look as angelic as I can.

"Apology accepted. I can understand you acting like that, but I have my reasons for being the way I am," Sora says.

"Kay. I won't ask any questions about why you're the way you are. But, I think I want to try to make you tell me," I say. I think I saw him actually smile. Wait...

"Probably not. But, I'll bet that you can figure out some other things about me..." he says, still smiling. I feel a chill down my spine and I look down at the younger boy. Sora's face is right against my neck (that's how tall he is) and he's kissing me... GAAH! He's gay! I push him away and fall over a garbage can, landing on my ass with my feet draped over the bin. He smirks again. That stupid smirk annoys me.

"Score one for me," he says, walking towards me, "Yes, I do like men, if you haven't already figured that out. But, I'm not completely homosexual. I'm bisexual, so I still like women." He lends me a hand getting up.

"That's good to know..." I mumble to myself.


	2. sCRATCHED oUT

Eeeek. I appologise for this part sucking so much. It's super short and it's really bad, but it was semi-needed for the story to continue. I know it's boring, so I fixed it by adding a little bit of humor. And, thank you anyone who decided I was cool enough to get reviews.

**Sora:** At my expense, bitch.

**Wakka:** STFU!!! o.o You still don't know what part I play in the story.

**Disclaimer:** If I owned Kingdom Hearts, it would be rated X.

---

Chapter Two: Scratched out

"This school is... clean..." says Sora, as he stalks beside me. His eyes travel back and forth, almost expecting to be ambushed at any second.

"Yeah," I say, my hands swinging leisurely by my thighs with each step I take. His hands are stuffed in his pockets as he slouches. His posture is horrible.

"Hm," he says, his gaze sliding back to me, "In my old school kids were having sex in the halls. You couldn't go a day without being threatened by a knife." My eyes widen.

"Well, I wouldn't want to be at your old school. You're probably glad that you're here, now," I say, smiling warmly at him. Sora raises his eyebrows.

"I miss it," he says, his gaze travelling to a 'DON'T DO DRUGS!' poster, clinging to the wall. The cartoon kids on it have safety pins stuck through their eyes. My smile fades.

"I wouldn't," I say, yawning slightly. "Anyway, that's Mr. Leonheart's class. He teaches math for the 12th grade. He's mean to most people, but he's not that hard to warm up to. Oh, that's the nurse's room. Mrs. Goudferie, the nurse, is married to the Merlin Goudferie who's the Chemistry teacher. They're both a little crazy, and Mrs. Goudferie treats us like two year olds. Merlin blows stuff up a lot." Sora grins. It looks maniacal.

"Blowing stuff up? Sounds like fun!" he says, poking me in the shoulder. Not only is he goth now, he's a pyromaniac? Crazy kid.

"So, Sora," I begin, "What kind of stuff do you like to do?" He looks at me for a second.

"Fuck." he says, plainly. I freeze in the spot. He's joking, right? I shake my head and begin to walk again.

"What **else** do you like to do?"

"I write poetry."

"Really?" I say. It's probably depressing or more like a snuff film.

"Yeah. What do you do, Riku?" he says. That's the first time he's called me my name.

"I like sports."

"Does anyone play Blitzball in this school?" asks Sora, his eyes looking down at the ground. So, gothy plays Blitzball? I wonder how good he is.

"Yeah. I'm on the team. Keeper."

"S'funny," snickers Sora. He looks up at me, the smirk plastered on his face, "that a star like you wouldn't be a main position on the team. Like captain or something."

"I'm better at defending. But I do pack a lot of punch at hand to hand combat!" I say, smashing my fist into my palm.

"Maybe one day I'll kick your ass in a match, hmm?" says Sora, pulling his smirk out again.

"What weapons do you use in fights?" I say, smiling. "I use just a plain sword. They're easy and fun."

"As do I. But I also like to use a whip. It's kinky and fun," says Sora, grinning at me. Up close I can see he has a tongue ring. This guy is all about sex, isn't he? I snort.

"Yeah, that's fun," I say. We pass another room, "That's the Art room. Mr. Strife is the teacher. He's a little bit cold and everyone knows that he want's Mr. Highwind's Phys-Ed Class. But with Mr. Strife in that class, he'd run it like a Drill Sergeant. He's harsher than Mr. Leonhart. We all know it's because his girlfriend, Aerith or something, went all MIA on him." Sora tenses up at the mention of the name Aerith.

"Are you sure it was Aerith. Not anything else?" says Sora, his eyes staying on his feet.

"It might have been Aera or Aero or Aeris. We don't remember her name. All we know is that she'd come every day at lunch and bring Mr. Strife something to eat. She was really nice. She went missing about two and a half years ago. I was just a Freshman back then," I continue. I look over at Sora. His teeth are gritted and his fists are clenched. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing. Nothing at all. But anyway, what class do you have first?" says Sora. I notice he just changes the subject, because the mention of the unknown woman. Maybe some relation...? The brunet sighed. I reach into my pocket and pull out a slightly folded piece of paper.

"Luck. We both have chemistry," I say, reviewing his schedule.

"Fun," he says, with practically no emotion in his voice. I glance up at the clock. The first period kids should be getting out pretty soon. Like five min--

_Beeeeeeeeep _

Um, never mind. I usher Sora through the gathering crowds and push through my fangirls, who are waving insanely to me and calling my name. I make my way into the Chem lab, pushing Sora in and then myself, before slamming off the hoard.

"Problem boys?" says a voice from behind. It's the sort of voice you'd expect from a crazy uncle, who lived in a travel trailer and explored the world. The kind that got drunk and hit on your mother at a wedding. The kind who gave you candy every time you talked to him. I spin around and find myself facing Merlin. The man is standing there, grinning, but his white, long mustache drapes over the corners of his mouth. He's wearing a blue lab-coat and the hair on the top of his head is dyed blue and shaped like a cone. It looks like a hat. Must have been experimenting again.

"No, not at all. I was just being molested by a hoard of rabid fangirls," I say, snickering quietly. Sora rolls his eyes at me and goes to a table in the back. A few students are inside already, not many though. They're just getting ready. We're starting a unit on pyrotechnics right now. A lot of the kids are loving the idea of it. It just scares me, because Merlin's hair always catches on fire, even without actual flame. But the good thing, is we get to have partners for this assignment. That means I won't get landed with a lot of work. I follow Sora to the back as the second bell rings, getting every student ready for class. He glares at me as I hop up on the stool beside him and throw my bag of books on the floor. Sora obviously doesn't want me to sit with him. But I do anyway, just for kicks. Besides, I've got no real friends in the class. Just people who envy me because I'm 'Mr. Perfect.'

"Today," begins Merlin, once all the kids are in their seats, "we will be selecting partners for our new unit on Pyrotechnics. I've selected the partners carefully, but oh. We have a new student. Well, that just evens it out. Irvine, you're with Seifer..." Merlin goes on, pairing students with others. He hasn't listed me or Sora yet. I wait a few minutes, my chin in my hands with my elbows on the table. Sora keeps glancing at me, well it's more of a glare, really. "Riku... you'll be with the new boy... umm... Sora!" Sora nearly falls off his stool.

"You mean I'm stuck with him!?" says Sora, and puts his hands into his face. Great. I'm stuck with depresso, the bisexual freak of nature. Gah, I hate school.

---

See that button down there. It's hungry. You can feed it by clicking on it and writing stuff. It likes sandwiches. Lots.


	3. gEMINI

Okay, this chapter is pretty angsty and stuff. I got some reviews from my friends. They said it was actually good, so I'll post it. And quickly:

**starlit-chaos:** One, the reason for my ragging on goths, pyros, and bisexuals will all be revealed later in this story. I have nothing against any of these people. Actually, this is all a plan to get my story rolling. And, Riku is Mr. Perfect for a reason. You'll see. =D He's not as perfect as he seems, either.

Now, I warn you. Some RikuxKairi up ahead. She's a slut. Garr. =X Flame me for this and you DIE.

**Disclaimer:** If I owned anything it's the shorts on my ass and the crappy Campbells soup I'm eating right now.

Chapter Three: Gemini

[Sora's POV]

_Sliiiiiiiit_

Ouch. That feels good. God, they all hated me. I knew they would, but I didn't know I'd feel this depressed. All I really feel like doing is sitting in the bathroom and cutting myself. Which I'm doing.

_Drip Drip Drip _

I hold my wrist over the sink and watch the crimson drip out of the cuts. My godmother would kill me if I got any of my blood on the rug. I look at the mirror. My face is already going pale. Did I really cut that deep? My wrist is already mutilated from my previous cuts. I want to die. I've wanted to die since I was born. Everyone else wanted me to die too. So why don't I just end my life right now? Because I'm too pathetic to die. That's why Mom killed Him. He didn't need to suffer like I do every day. He was too good for that.

_'S-Sooooraa...' _

I choke back tears as I watch my life drain away through my wrist. The ghastly images of Mom and Him still run through my mind. All she cared about was Him. Well, if I was Her I would only care about Him too. I mean... He wasn't forced on Her like I was. Stupid bastard. He just had to make me Hers', didn't he?

_'Honey, can you get me an axe...?'_

_'Why, mommy...?'_

_'To save your younger brother...'_

I've always felt like a carry-on bag for my Godmother and her sister. I'm not really good for anything. Just moping... complaining... getting bloodstains everywhere. The bleeding has slowed quite a bit now. But, I'm extremely pale. I feel like I'm going to pass out. I might. But... would it be such a bad thing? No one cares about me enough to bother to check if I'm dead.

No body really cares anymore. 'I love you' are just meaningless words. It's not that I've ever heard them, but from what I've seen on TV people seem to think that they mean so much. But words never really mean anything. I don't think I even believe in 'love' anymore. It's so superficial. Only some people actually feel it. And they're lucky. The last time I dared to care for someone, my heart was ripped out of my chest and shoved down my throat. It was a good thing my entire body and soul was numb by then. Numb from the cold... or maybe the pain. Maybe both. I don't know. I don't remember.

Riku was pretending. He's not really as nice as he looks. He's just another stuck-up kid who gets everything he wants. There's too many of those people. Fuck them. I can't handle all of the shit this world keeps throwing at me. I think I'll just curl up and die and just tell the world to fuc--

_SLAM_

"Sora, I'm home!" calls a familiar voice from downstairs. Shit. Lulu's back from work. And I'm here half-falling on the counter of the sink, my wrist pouring blood, a sharp knife sitting beside me and my face paler than the moon. Maybe I should pretend I'm dead. No, that would only make Lulu angry.

Damn.

Damn.

Damn. 

"Sora? Where are you?" calls Lulu's demanding voice. God, I can't even move. I've lost too much blood. I go to say something, but the words crack in my throat. She calls my name once more before I hear footsteps up the stairs. I've got to get out of here. I try to walk over to the medicine cabinet, hanging on the opposite side of the wall, but I end up stumbling and knocking the knife onto the floor with a clatter.

"Sora, you'd better not be cutting again," I hear Lulu's voice coming closer. She wasn't supposed to get home until late tonight. Maybe she lied, just so she'd catch me cutting and have another excuse to put me back with the therapists. Suddenly I find myself on the floor, my bleeding forearm draped across my stomach. I bite my lip. Lulu's near the door.

The door flies open, and a dainty black shoe appears through my blurred vision. "Sora!" says Lulu, her voice in a silenced awe at my paler complexion and my blood-drenched clothing. She glares at me, her eyes full of a combination of sorrow and disgust. I quickly look to the floor, tears now running down my cheeks. Even though she's right there, I still feel alone. I can't really see anything anymore, except for red-stained, white floor tiles. I hear the clatter of cupboards above me, and next I feel my arm being levitated by cool, smooth hands. The odd gauzy feel of bandaging is wrapped around my wrist, and Lulu presses down hard.

"I can't believe you..." I hear Lulu mumble. I bite back a sob. She doesn't understand. She wasn't there with Her and Her precious Son. She doesn't have to see that insane face every minute of life. I look back at her. She's pretty. Her black hair is in a loose, jeweled bun and the long strands are barely staying in place. She looks up at me, her cold, cat-like eyes focussed on my face. "Sora... you don't have to do this to yourself..." Her free hand brushes by my cheek. I welcome the comfort. Okay, Lulu's not so bad. She's my Godmother, but she's still young. 23 years old, I think. Not too much older than me. She dresses well too. Curvy figure. Really pretty. Gorgeous, maybe. She's pretty kind-hearted, too, but she's overprotective.

I smile sadly; "Mom wants me to suffer." Lulu's expression goes hard again.

"Your mother doesn't want that..." she muttered, looking at my wrist once again. I notice the red stains slightly going through the bandage. She presses harder. Pressure is supposed to stop the bleeding. "She doesn't know what she wants be--"

"Because she's dead."

"No, Sora. You know very well what your mother's situation is. She's still alive."

"Her body is. But her spirit has deteriorated. Because of that bastard," Lulu's eyes flare up with hatred as I hiss out those words.

"He is the one who's helping her! And he did nothing to your mother. It was... not... his... fault..." Lulu cuts off her sentence, but I decide to finish it.

"...Because I was the one who did it to her. I broke mom." Lulu glares at me and goes to walk out the door.

"Keep applying pressure to the cut. You're going to stay home from school tomorrow. Get to bed. Now." She turns on her heel and heads out the door. As soon as I hear her heels clicking down the stairs I manage to stand up. Dammit, she could have helped me to my room. I stumble down the hall, my hand clamped to the oak banister. My room is just a few delicate steps away. I manage to hear some of Lulu's grumbling combined with some of my favorite opera music downstairs. I open the door to my room. The cramped, dusty excuse for a room. Lulu and our family are by no means poor, I just like small spaces. And because Lulu wanted the huge room. I let her have it. She needs more space with all of the creativity beaming from her body. She's like a walking sunflower when she's painting. I flop down onto my bed, happy to have something supporting me other than my legs. My whole body feels heavy.

The world thinks I'm pathetic and selfish because of my cutting.

I think that too.

But I never admit it.

Because...

I know it all too well.

[Riku's POV]

Kairi grins as she pours herself a glass of orange soda. "So, how was school? I didn't see you at all today." I flick my pen with my index finger.

"It was lame. Some goth wannabe with a chick's name kept trying to seduce me. Not much else happened besides me falling over a garbage can." Kairi drops the cap of the soda bottle on the ground, and bends over to pick it up.

Lucky me, she's wearing a mini-skirt. I get a full-on panty shot. Black lacy. Mm... Kairi's a slut.

GET THE DIRTY THOUGHTS OUT OF YOUR HEAD, RIKU!!

She did that on purpose. She likes watching me drool. "Close your mouth, silly Riku," she says, giggling, and I slam my previously gaping mouth shut. She stands up and puts the cap back on and shoves the bottle back into the fridge. She giggles again as she walks back over to me, purposely trying to make me insane. "I'm sure that goth-kid isn't thaaaaaat bad. But he's not good enough to hang out with us. Ya know. Just be nice, and I'm sure he'll go find friends or blood buddies or something." She waves her free hand around as she talks and holds the glass of soda in the other. Her auburn hair is pretty when it's a bit longer. In the sun it's the color of her glass of orange soda.

"Maybe. He punched me pretty hard when I mentioned... Hm... I think it was being spoiled," I say. My cheek still hurt from that and I have a large purple bruise. It should go away by tomorrow though.

"Maybe he has no money," says Kairi, sitting in a chair opposite from me. I shrug. Kairi flips open her Math textbook. "So, lets get started on this work. If we get it done early, I'll give you a present!" Ooh, presents. I like presents. Especially when they're from her.

RIKU!! CONCENTRATE ON HOMEWORK! THOUGHTS LIKE THAT AREN'T FIT FOR THE GARBAGE!!

Chains, Handcuffs, Whips.

Eeeh!

Wait, whips?

Gah, Sora's just popped back into my brain. I'm zoning out, apparently, because Kairi is waving her hand around infront of my face. "Ku. Earth to Riku!"

"Erk. Sora Kairi. Er, sorry Kairi!" I manage to stutter out. Great, I just said his name. She raises her eyebrows and suddenly breaks into a fit of giggles.

"You're thinking about that goth kid still?" she says, grinning. I shrug and turn my attention to the window on my left.

"He's just stuck in my mind. Why would he get so pissed off?" I mumble. Kairi scoots her chair over, so she's sitting beside me. She leans her head on my shoulder, and looks over to the window with me.

"I dunno. He's angsty. Leave him alone, kay?" says Kairi, nuzzling up against my neck. "Let's get started on the homework."

It only took us a half-hour to do the homework. It wasn't hard, just annoying and used a lot of big numbers and confusing equations. Kairi's not great at math. But she's good at something else...

A warm, wet tongue slides inside of my mouth. Auburn hair tickles my face slightly. Kairi straddles my stomach, her face bent down to mine. My hands are on her thighs, playing with the material of her skirt. I'm too distracted by her pineapple flavored lip gloss to bother with my hands. Maybe later, but not right now.

In case you haven't noticed, Kairi's not that nice of a person to unpopular people. She's not mean to their faces, but you wouldn't believe the horrible things she's done. Hell, I don't even like her personality. She's a stuck-up, rich, stupid, slutty bitch. But she's gorgeous. So, I guess I'm using her. Or something.

Is that pathetic, or what?

Feed the monster some cake this time. =D Or some crappy Campbell's soup. I'll love you either way.


	4. cOUNTING sPIDERS

Okay, after much wait, here is chapter four. I'm not happy with it. I actually originally intended to have some fluff between teh two boys. But it's too soon. XD Don't worry. It's coming soon. And soon, more characters will be introduced. I'll name a few: Sephiroth, Vincent, Ansem... and, Cloud will play a big role in the next few chapters.

**Wakka:** Pssst. She actually intended in making me a nudist in this chapter. o.o;;

* * *

Chapter Four: Counting spiders

The brat didn't show up for school today. How predictable. And even worse, I'm stuck with all this bullshit about having to go to his house and get working on the project with him. Some bitch named Lulu called the school and asked me to. I had to say yes if I want a good mark on this project. Oh, what will one boy do for a good mark? Maybe I should become one of those slackers who have nothing better to do than smoke pot all day. Maybe not.

"Hey, man," says a familiar, bright and happy voice. I slowly turn my head around to find the familiar face of Tidus. "What's up? You seem a little angry."

"Eh? No way. I'm just... deep in thought," I mumble, turning my face away from him yet again. I hear Tidus' chair squeak around too, just over the rumble of noise in the cafeteria. Chattering and other kids talking is basically all you can hear in this stupid room.

God, I'm starting to hate this school.

* * *

The trip to Sora's house was fairly uneventful. I got lost a couple of times, now I'm just looking for the last turn off to his street. I can't believe Yuffie took the car. I had to walk halfway across the city with a huge bag on my back. Someone needs to shoot that girl in the head.

I'm in the old zone of town. I recognize the old Victorian style houses. They're a break from the new-age buildings in the district I live in. Glancing down at the address scrawled on my hand I figure out that Sora's house is just a few blocks down.

"Hey! Riku!"

Glancing up, I notice a man walking over to me. Muscular upper body is the first thing I note. The next is the bright orange hair. 

"Wakka! Hey there. What's up?" I say, grinning stupidly. My back is aching. I just want to get to that kid's house and sit down. I don't feel like talking to some idiot who's part of the anger management group.

"Not too much, ya!" replies the man cheerily. You wouldn't suspect that he smashed open his ex-wife's window with his head.

"Yeah, same here," I say, keeping my grin in place, "Hey, I gotta go. I've got homework to do at a friends'. I'm already late." Wakka's smile disappears. Shit.

"You ditchin me, man? Cause I don't like it when people ditch me," he mumbles, crossing his arm. I laugh uncomfortably, trying to keep myself from jetting away.

"No, Wakka! I really do need to go. I'm sorry!" I say, still keeping my smile in place. Wakka turns around, marching off in the other direction.

"Whatever, ya!" he calls back, giving a wave over his shoulder. I sigh, running off to Sora's house.

* * *

"... Come in."

I slowly open up the oak door, bringing in almost nauseating scents of lavender from the house. I nearly choke from the fumes, but decide not to insult the strict-looking woman sitting in the next room.

"You must be Riku. I'm Lulu, nice to meet you. This is Dr. Auron..." The ebony-haired woman points to a rather peculiar looking man sitting across from her. The man simply nods in my direction as I take off my shoes. Lulu turns her attention back to Dr. Auron, "Anyway, did you figure out what the cause of it was this time?"

"Well, Sora wouldn't tell me. Although, he's still dwelling on the past," says Auron. His voice is like hot molasses, smooth and rich. I could probably listen to him talk forever. Gah, what am I saying!?! Shut up Riku.

"Hm. Still?" says Lulu simply. Her dark eyes veer towards me for a second. "Sora is upstairs, second room on the right." I nod, heading up the hardwood-floor stairs. God, Lulu keeps this place as clean as a hospital. There isn't an inch of dust anywhere. I hear heavy metal music playing through the first door as I reach the top step. Sora's probably drowning himself out... no wait. It's coming out of the first door.

_SMACK_

Ouch. Door in face.

"LU! I'm outta batteries! Is there some down there? Oh, hello there," says a girlish voice. The door swings shut and I rub my nose. That hurt. Bringing down my hand, I absorb the scene infront of me.

Holy shit.

That girl is STACKED.

A pretty brunette stands in front of me, tank-topped and pissed looking.

"Who the fuck is this?" she asks, her voice dripping with venom. "Oh, let me guess. Sora's new boyfriend?" My face pales visibly.

"No," I mumble, "Er. Chemistry partner." The girl nods, her long brown hair bouncing along her back.

"Ah. Well, I'm Tifa. Lulu's sister. I live here too."

I can tell. Her outfit is similar to Sora's, but a little less gothic. More punk-like. She heads down the stairs, apparently getting more batteries. I shrug the backpack higher on my shoulders, going down to Sora's door. It's probably going to be filled with posters of Marilyn Manson and be painted jet black with pictures of macabre everywhere. Eh, wouldn't be surprised.

Wow. I am surprised.

His room is pink!

A four-poster bed sits near the middle of the room, the headboard pushed to the wall. A dresser with tons of make-up sits opposite to it. The colors all match. There isn't a view of Sora's gothism in the room. Is he a crossdresser in his spare time?

At the end of the large, girlish room sits Sora, right beside the window. A white curtain is hanging over his back, making him look like some sort of one-winged angel. His head is rested on the window-sill as he gazes into the sky, an odd tie-dye of orange and pink in the sky. The sun is setting already? I hate fall.

He slowly turns his head towards me as I click the door shut. His face is paler than normal, his unmanageable brown hair is flatter than usual and his eyes are glazed. His expression makes you want to run up and hug him.

"Oh... hi Riku..." he mumbles, turning his gaze back to the window. I drop the bag on the floor and wander over to him.

"Hey. You okay?" I mutter, sitting down beside him. He does look sick. It's reasonable that he stayed home.

"I guess," he mumbles, not taking his gaze away from the window. He's wearing arm warmers. It's not even cold. Well, whatever.

"So... what do you have or whatever?" I say, leaning against the wall, my eyes traveling around the room.

"A bad case of remembering too much," says Sora, an obvious sigh in his voice.

"Oh. What...?" I ask, silver hair falling in front of my eyes. I'm too lazy to push it away, so Sora does. I almost run away from his touch... but... it's nice.

"Just stuff that's undesirable."

"Oh."

"Yeah," says Sora, giving me an awkward smile. "Anyway, why don't we get started on that project, okay?" I nod, standing up and retrieving the backpack from its neglected spot near the door. Damn, it's still heavy. Sora moves over to the middle of the room where I pull out all of the stuff for the project. Wow. This is going to be fun.

* * *

A few hours later, Sora and I are totally bored of working. So, we're talking about whatever. It feels pretty normal, like I can get along with this guy on a regular basis. Dare I say it? We could be friends. Maybe. It's possible.

"So," says Sora, tapping his pencil on the edge of his notebook. "What do we do now? We've talked about everything." I lean back on my elbows, thinking.

"Dunno," I mumble, closing my eyes momentarily. It's already past seven o'clock.

"Riku... do you live with your mom?"

"Yeah. I live with her and my dad and my sister, Yuffie."

"That's nice." Sora turns his head away from me, his spirits obviously going down.

"What about your parents, Sora?" I say, going back to my seated position. Sora sighs, drawing small circles in the carpet before answering.

"Well... my mom is not herself and I only get to talk to her every so often. My step-father, I know him pretty well. He's not here this month though. Business, you know," says Sora.

"Step-dad?"

"Yeah. I don't know my real father at all."

"He probably was some guy who was her high school sweet heart or something, right?"

"No. Mom was twelve years old. Rape."

The four letter word seemed to echo through my mind for a few seconds before I realized what he had meant. He had a reason for being as depressed as he was. His mother probably doesn't like him, because he's a rape child.

"Oh. Um. ...."

I'm totally lost for words. Half of me wants to give him a hug, but I'm afraid he might try to molest me or something. He forms a weak smile.

"It's okay. You don't have to say anything. You're actually the first person I've told this to, you know?"

"Really?"

"Yeah. I guess... I just trust you."

"Why?"

"I don't know," says Sora, yawning lightly. "Just do."

"Cool."

* * *

It wants sushi this time. Click teh review button. Now. 


	5. eXITS

Sowwy for the late arrival, guys. :( I've been real busy. And I felt to include a new character in this chapter, so read on. This chapter's a little boring. Sorry.

Disclaimer: Same as usual. I don't own JACK!

Warnings: Nothin' at all in this chapter. :)

* * *

**Chapter Five:** Exits

Sora's POV

That was only the half of it.

I didn't tell Riku the whole story.

I didn't even tell him a quarter of it. That part's only the beginning of it. But, Riku did invite me to hang out with his friends from now on. Riku's really something. Letting me feel like I'm a normal teenager. I really like being around him. I'm not some abomination to him. It's kind of nice.

He left my house that day, me feeling reasonably happier than I had in a while. Lulu thought I had gotten into Tifa's Prozac again. I might have. I don't remember.

So now I'm back in school. Long-sleeved shirts are my salvation today. I'm not letting Riku see my gruesome cutting-- yet.

"Sora!"

I glance up, and find myself looking to a grinning Riku waving to me across the small field. He's surrounded by disgruntled friends, who don't look to happy to see me. I can only smirk. I want to ruin their days. Cool.

I stalk over to the small group, consisting of people known as Tidus, Selphie, Yuffie and I think the last one is in our home-room. "Hello," I greet simply. The unknown boy grunts in reply. His blue hair is cool. But he's one hell of a lot taller than the rest of us. Probably some dumb jock that Riku hangs out with.

"Hey, Sora," says Riku, the smile still plastered stupidly on his angelic face. "This is Tidus, Selphie, Yuffie and this is Kimarhi." The blue-haired teen crosses his arms, glaring down at me like I'm some sort of enemy or something.

"There you are!" says another unfamiliar voice. I simply turn my head towards the voice. A short, thin girl wearing high-heels, a miniskirt and a see-through blouse stands near us, a silly little smirk playing with her lips. "Riku!" She hops over to him, a small group of giggling girls following in step. The auburn haired girl clings to Riku's arm. All at once jealousy, hatred and annoyance towards the silver-haired god and the immature ferret-girl now sporing from his arm. She glances over at me, her smile turning to a sneer.

"Oh, you must be Homo-Goth boy," she says, with a certain snide ness in her voice. "Solar, right?"

"Sora," I correct, crossing my arms over my chest.

"Whatever. I'm Kairi," she says, turning her attention back to Riku and jabbering on about her stupid activities in 'the popular' life. I shrug my jealousy still raging inside of me.

"Look, Riku," I say, hiking my black shoulder bag up further, "I'm going to go put my shit in my locker. Catch you all later." I don't even wait for a reply before I trudge off, but not missing a 'You lose' smile from Kairi.

* * *

I cross the hall, not particularly looking for anyone or planning to do anything. Class starts in a few minutes, but I'm near enough to the room. As I pointlessly look around, bored of my surroundings, several people look at me like I just killed their kittens. Maybe I did... oh ho hoh.

Then she walks by.

Her.

This girl... looks somewhat like me. Not her clothing, but her just real vibe that she gives off. It could scare Riku even more than I have been doing.

This girl is hunched over; her glazed, beady, emerald eyes are always peeking over the book she seems so absorbed in. She looks suspicious that something is going to hurt her. Her stringy black hair is scattered about everywhere, and her face is ghastly white.

I wander over to her, seemingly going nowhere. She sits, fidgeting, in front of, presumably, her locker with her tattered old backpack sitting beside her. I slump down beside her, noticing her fearful glance towards me.

"Um... hello," she says in a surprisingly deep voice, clapping her book shut. I read the title. _The Collections of Shakespeare._ She has good taste.

"Hey," I mumble, crossing my legs Indian-style getting a better look at her. Her nose is long and almost elegant looking, but is just a little too big for her thin face. She's not gorgeous, that's for sure, but I'm sure I could get to like her.

"Are you going to make fun of me, because I want you to get it over with," says the girl, her tone almost afraid. I shake my head.

"Why make fun of you when I'm probably more rejected than you are?" I say. She smiles a bit at that, and puts her book down onto the hallway floor. A few misplaced kids pass us cackling, and spitting on the girl. I frown at them, and manage to trip one with my boot. Score one for the rejects, my good man. One of his buddies catches the guy, and the three of them walk by us grumbling.

"Thank-you," says the girl, her face nearly going pink. I manage to smile a little before she finally turns her head towards me. "I'm Maleficent."

"I'm Sora," I reply, not losing eye contact with her.

"Sora means sky... right?" says Maleficent, hugging her baggy sweater closer to her chest. Her long black skirt is slightly wrinkled, I notice, but that just might be the way she's sitting.

"Yeah," I reply. "Your name has no meaning, right?" She shakes her head, and it almost looks like she's one of those bobble head figurines.

"No meaning at all."

* * *

Home. It's nothing to me. It's empty; Tifa barely pays attention to me, Lulu seems to worry about my sanity by not my feelings... I'm **always** alone. I spent the rest of the day with Maleficent, and we got to know each other pretty well. Maleficent lives with her mother, she doesn't know her father. But her mother is almost always drunk, and she has to take care of the one-room apartment they habitat by herself. I don't have things so bad... she's got about the equivalent, or somewhat near it. I have a feeling that I'll be getting used to this Maleficent person pretty quickly.

I'm near the driveway, and my rickety house looks like it's swaying in the wind and might fall apart at the soonest gust. There's a car, a silver one, in the drive way. Only could be one person's.

I approach the door, almost nervous to get myself in. He's probably there. There to convince me to come to his home in England with him, and pull myself out of this rut I'm currently stuck in. I don't want that. I never will want that.

I take a deep breath and grip the silver door-handle. It's almost ice cold. But the door flies open before I can turn it, and I'm met with the familiar uptight-looking face that I've come to recognize.

My stepfather.

"Sora," he says, a wry smile on his face. I return the grin.

"Ansem."

* * *

Cliffy! :D Have fun, kiddoes. Feed the button with your happy reviews/critism.

P.S. And Maleficent. I love the character. She's really just misunderstood. She didn't get invited to the party, and she casted a spell. So what. She's really not that bad.


	6. nOT oKAY

Just to be really mean, I'm not going to tell ANYONE about what's going to happen to Sora for now, and just go back to Riku's day. Don't you love me?

Okay, question answering time:

Q. H_ow many chapters are there going to be for this ficcy?_

A. I really don't know at this point. I know it'll probably be over ten, because I have the story planned out in my head and it's pretty long, but not over the top like 52 chapters or anything like that.

Q. _Where is Waldo?_

A. I'm going to stick him in here sometime. :D

Q. _What is a 'wannabe' goth? Either someone is a goth or they are not. And how do you define goth? I wear black, like Marilyn Manson, black, purple and stuff, but I am not a goth. Stop stereotyping._

A. Aha, see you caught me there. I'm actually proving a point with this story, so I can use nods to 'goth' and pop culture right now. Marilyn Manson is NOT goth music, kiddoes. He's a very intelligent man with an eye for popular trends. I like him. (Pssst... Snuckles loves black and purple. And stripes. Lotsa people call her goth, but she's not. :D)

Q. Maybe_ you could make Sora find out that Malificent is an alcoholic, start drinking/taking drugs/shoplifting._

A. Hm, that would be a good idea. :D But, I have much more planned. Much more.

Notes If you thought Ansem being Sora's step-dad was surprising or just plain predictable, wait until you find out who his mom is and the weird little history they have going on. Oh, and this chapter is named after one of my favorite songs; I'm not Okay (I promise) by My Chemical Romance.

**Disclaimer:** Still don't own it.

**Warnings:** More Kairi whorey-ness. Huzzah!

* * *

**Chapter 6:** I'm not okay, I promise 

You know the type of person that you can talk to and the other type that sort of shies away from human affection of any kind. Well, I'm still debating on what sort of type Sora is. He didn't seem to mind at all when we were close that day, but that might just be because he was delirious from being sick. I mean, I hated it. Not really. Sora's just a likeable person, for some odd reason.

"Riku. Earth to Riku," says Kairi, snapping me out of my own thoughts. She's waving her thin hand in front of my eyes, and I push it away. "We're supposed to be paying attention, remember?"

"Since when do you pay attention?" I respond, rubbing my aching forehead. I must have gotten a headache from thinking too much. Ouch. Kairi scoffs, crossing her bare legs. She and her short skirts. I roll my eyes with out thinking and she stares at me for a second. Just as the bell rings, I nearly bound out of my seat to get away from her. Geez, Kairi must have on Riku Repellant today. Instead of scampering away, Kairi grips my shoulder tightly and turns me to face her.

"What!?" I nearly yell, but manage to keep my voice down for fear of having people stare at us.

"You've been acting weird to me ever since that creepy goth-o kid came into your life. What do you care about him, Riku? He's just some nobody kid who has a crush on you," says Kairi. I sigh. Best not to fight with her; she has connections to the mafia, I swear.

"Look, he's just got a pretty shitty life, so I decided to take sympathy on him and let him hang with me, you know," I manage to blurt out. "And besides, he's smart, I can probably pry some work off of him." That wasn't entirely true. I was always smart, and had been acing school since forever. But I had to dumb down for Kairi, because she liked to be in control in her relationships.

"Oh," says Kairi, her weird look turning into a goofy smile, "Good Riku." I half expect her to give me a pat on the head and a dog biscuit, but instead she waves a quick goodbye and heads off to her next class with her gaggle of girlfriends. Goose.

"Kairi looks like she hates that Sora kid!" says Tidus, grinning at me. I merely go back to my disgusting lunch and pick through the questionable food placed in front of me.

"No shit, Sherlock," says Yuffie, spinning around her chair to face us. Kimarhi sits parallel to me with Selphie at his side. "She was practically chanting death curses at him."

"Yeah, I mean, from his appearance he does look pretty creepy though," says Tidus. My mind momentarily flips back to his pink room before I break out in a spontaneous fit of giggles. Everyone stares at me. I finally calm myself down.

"You guys know that's he's not as bad as he looks," I say. Selphie rolls her eyes.

"Yeah, I guess so. Maybe we should give him a chance?" says Selphie. I sigh and nod. "Wow, did that just sound as corny as I thought it did."

"Yep," says Tidus, choking down one of his vinegar soaked French fries. "To both," he adds, gagging.

"He doesn't seem bad," says Kimarhi. That shocks us all, I think. The blue haired teen rarely speaks. "Just troubled."

"I guess," says Yuffie, spinning around in her chair a few more times. I sigh, and look around the cafeteria. There's the legion of fan girls waving at me, the bullies picking some random kid and slamming him into the ground, Waldo, the art geeks, the nerds and... Sora and Maleficent? Maleficent!?

The two are over there walking and talking like they're great friends. Hah, I met him first! I'm more of a friend to him than Maleficent is.

Whoa. 

Was that jealousy? For Sora?

I shuddered and got a few weird looks from Yuffie and Selphie. But still, what the hell was Maleficent (the dumpy, rude, arrogant girl) doing with Sora? He was waaaaaaay too good for her anyway. He's a great looking guy. Coming from another straight guy's point of view.... that is.

Anyway, Sora and Maleficent are still in the cafeteria, while Maleficent buys herself something to drink from the vending machines. She's laughing while she talks to him, and he seems to be happy around her too.

Wait, Maleficent... laugh? I don't think I've **ever** seen her laugh.

Did Sora do that? 

Maybe Sora is better than everyone thinks he is.

Maybe... better than us?

* * *

Wow, you guys. 50 reviews. I'd love to thank everyone who has taken the time to review this rather pathetic story. :) 

Well, here's the filler chapter. Have a blast! Next, we get to see the character that Ansem is. No, he's not going to be some psycho rapist.

I thought that over a little too much.

Review, guys!


	7. aS tHE fIRST oNE fALLS

AHHHHH, MOTHER LEEEIN!

It's been nearly three months since I've updated this thing. :( I'm really sorry guys. I've been freaking busy.

Well, without further blathering, here's the chapter.

**Disclaimer:** Nope.

**Warnings:** Some plot revelation. le gasp

* * *

**Chapter 7:** As the first one falls

Sora comes to school looking like his best friend died. Last time I checked, Maleficent is still alive.

At the moment.

Sora attempts to stalk right past me, but I catch him by the shoulder, and pull him beside me. I want to talk to him. I don't know why, but I have this odd feeling like I need him beside me all the time, now.

Weird.

"What's wrong?" I ask. It seems like a good enough question. I don't want to interrogate him, especially when he looks this down. He gives me this sort of lost puppy look, before suddenly becoming interested in his shoes.

"It's… nothing…" he grumbles. It's almost un-hearable. He wanders off down the halls, and I lose sight of him in the gathering crowd. But I do manage to see Maleficent running after him.

Man snatcher.

Wait.

Did I just call her a 'man snatcher'?

I'm going to go soak my head in acid for a while.

Sora wasn't in chemistry. Figures. I knew he would skip. In fact, I didn't see Sora all day. Is something seriously wrong? Am I missing something?

The day passed. No Sora anywhere. But, I did manage to get detention, and I have to hang around the frigging art room to clean up.

Me alone.

Fuck.

I sigh, wandering my way to the supply closet. That's where Mr. Cloud keeps the cleaning supplies. And I can understand why, too. It's freaking huge. Like the size of my room times a hundred and four.

I open the door, and lean against the door frame. The light is on. Odd. Because Mr. Strife was absent all day, and the art room is off-limits for the day. In fact, the entire room was locked.

Like I said. Odd.

I hide behind a stack of paint cans, wondering who the hell is in there. Possibly some students having sex. That would be funny as hell.

"…he just came back. Last night. I wasn't expecting it. I can't believe he's in town, and what's worse, he wants me to see my mother. I almost fucking killed myself the last time I saw her. She hates me so much she loves me…"

Sora.

Sora Sora Sora.

Must… resist… urge… to… squeal…

Okay, so maybe I like Sora a teensy weensy bit. Sheesh.

Wait, 'almost killed myself'?

"You don't have to see her. I mean, if she affects you that badly."

Maleficent.

Grr.

Must… resist… urge… to… kill…

"I know, but I have to. I love my mom. Ansem just makes things worse…"

"I'm sorry."

"No, don't be. It's my entire fault."

"No, it's not, Sora! It's not your fault."

_Plut._

Shit. Shit shit shit.

Curse you loose paint falling down on the floor and spilling over the extremely dumpy looking Maleficent. Shit.

"…Riku," says Sora, staring up at me with blank eyes. Maleficent looks down at the canary yellow paint splatters on her faded black sweatshirt and shrugs. "What are… you doing here?"

"Looking for the mop," I say, quite truthfully, actually. Maleficent raises her eyebrows.

"…Really now," she says, looking very skeptical. I nod. She continues to glare at me.

"Um…" says Sora. He can't sense the tension. Get away from him, you evil man snatcher. "You weren't eavesdropping, were you?"

"Yes, I was eavesdropping on you, Sora," I say, obviously lying. "I was eavesdropping because I love you with my hearts content, and that evil man snatcher won't leave you alone."

Maleficent broke out in an evil cackle. "Y-you really are funny, Riku," she giggles, barely able to say the words, "I see why everyone likes you!"

Not really. Not everybody likes him because I'm funny.

"People like him because he's good looking, Maleficent. People are selfish. I like him because he's a good person," says Sora.

Woah.

Read my mind, much.

* * *

:D There's another chapter for you.

Urrrgh. It took me forever to write this. I've had a horrible writers block for this story.

Next time:

Riku pays Sora's house another visit! Ansem answers the door!


	8. oBSESSION

alrighty.

you know what? kingdom hearts 2 is being released in japan on the 22 of december, and i've just recently finished kh: chain of memories. this has inspired me to restart like spinning plates again. i have several new ideas for the lovely little fic, a whole new musical taste, and advanced writing skills. after all, i was only 12 when i started writing it originally.

wtf. it's been over 1 year since i actually started the fic. wow. that's amazing.

but, i've gained my likingness back for this fic after reading it and thinking it over. eventually, i'm going to go back and edit previous chapters. i don't like some of the wording in them.

also, my co-writer seth has decided he won't be taking part in the rest of the fanfiction, and thus some of the writing style will change. just a little bit.

another note, i have another fanfiction account (archy the cockroach), that i've been working on. that is my solo effort, so this fic may be moved to that account. (as snuck is my collaborations with seth.) i've taken to the fruits basket fandom, and that is where my attention had been moved. but with my nearing the end of the fiction 'cheerio my deario', my interest is starting to leave that fandom, and return to kingdom hearts.

well, we'll just have to see where this goes.

and we've returned.

welcome back.

**disclaimer: **I own the Kingdom Hearts manga. That's about it.

**warnings: **PORN. No, just some plot revelation. :D

* * *

**chapter eight: **just a little obsession

Okay, so, now I'm staring down Sora's front door, wondering exactly what the hell to do. I'm sort of pissed at him for hanging out with Maleficent rather than me, but I'm kind of happy that I'm the only one that knows that he's a taboo child. Well, I would guess that Lulu and that Pam Anderson look alike that he lived with knew, but that was beside the point. But, I think the real reason I'm here is to ask if he really wanted to kill himself. I mean, those arm warmers and long sleeves were finally making sense.

I go to knock on the door, but draw my fist back. Fuck, I'm scared that he'll answer the door and look at me like I'm crazy, or something. Truth is, I do feel a little crazy right now. I stop momentarily to look around. There's a car in the driveway. Silver, really expensive. Wait, that wasn't there before… could that have something to do with Sora's stepfa-

"Hello, can I help you with something?" says a man who looks eerily like me. I didn't even knock on the god damn door! What the hell? Has he been watching me?

"Uh, I'm looking for Sora," I manage to squeak out. I sound like a damn pre-pubescent girl. "Is he in?" The man in the doorway arches his white eyebrow. He looks way too young to be with white hair, but whatever. I have fuckin' silver hair, and I'm under the age of 20.

"Well, he **is **in, but I do not know if he would like to see you at this time." We stand there and stare at each other for a few minutes. He speaks like a freaking robot. It's seriously scaring me.

"Ansem, what the fuck are you doing? Who is it?"

My next sight is Sora. Ah, my savior from this awkwardness. He looks just as depressed as usual, nestled in between the scary man's side and the doorway. "Riku, what are you doing here?" He just sounds tired, and I am, again, tempted to hug him.

"I-I just came to see you," I mumble out, feeling like a complete loser. Never, ever, have I felt like such an idiot as I have right now. "I mean, cause you're my friend, and you know, that's what friends do… they visit… each other…"

I'm getting a really evil look from this white-haired man in the doorway. His amber eyes are just GLARING at me. Ahhh, stop looking at me crazy man.

"Move, move, moooove," urges Sora, pushing Ansem away from the doorway. It takes his full body weight to even budge the older male. "Man, you're such a home wrecker. Why did you even have to show up at all?" For a few moments, I think he's directing that at me but I realize that he's saying it to this man, apparently named 'Ansem'. Who is this Ansem character, anyway? I really don't get it.

"Okay, come in," he mumbles, getting out of the doorway himself and allowing me to enter. "This fucker here, he's my step-dad, if you could even call him that. Don't pay attention to him, he's an asshole and I hate him." I was rather shocked at this. I mean, my mother would kick me out of the house if I even **suggested **that she was a fucker. Sora grabs me by the forearm and takes me up the stairs as fast as possible. He obviously doesn't want to be around his stepfather.

Said stepfather crosses his arms downstairs, sighs, and goes back into the living room, to continue with whatever else he was doing. However, I am thrown back into Sora's fluffy little room. It's as eerily un-bothered as ever. He lives in a goddamn fairy-tale.

"AGH, I hate him **so **much. I wish he would just die or something!" yells Sora, as soon as he pulls me into the room. He slams the door after his rather loud exclamation is made and immediately calms himself down, back into that odd, little, hateful, silent boy-skin.

"Why do you hate him? Besides being like a robot, he doesn't seem too bad," I mutter, sitting myself down on Sora's worn-out bed. Sora stands, eyes to the floor, looking a little more timid than I'd ever seen him. He wraps his arms around himself and just… stands there.

"Because, he's a horrible reminder of something I've wanted to forget for a long time." Again, I'm tempted to dash over to him and give him a big hug. "And… um, can I, can I… tell you something, Riku?" I give him a slightly confused look, but nonetheless beckon him over to sit on the bed. He staggers over and nearly collapses. He must be really tired. From his awkward sitting position on the bed, I can barely see his eyes as they are still directed at the floor.

"H… how much did you hear, yesterday, I mean?" he mumbles out. I blink at him. What didn't I hear? We sit in silence for a moment, before a formidable sentence forms in my head.

"Um, enough. But, Sora, you didn't seriously think of killing yourself… did you?" I'm hoping my assumptions are dreadfully wrong. I have enough to worry about besides a suicidal friend. Well, at least I think I'm his friend. Maybe his acquaintance?

Another silence. It's so hard to wait for him to answer.

"I didn't think about it."

A sigh of relief, from me, of course.

_i didn't just think about it_

"You know, Sora," I say, kicking my legs off of the side of the bed, slightly. The rest of the frame reverberates with the pressure I've applied, and Sora's form does a sort of a jelly dance. "if anything is ever bothering you… you can tell me, you know."

In return for that comment, I get one of his rare, real smiles.

"I know, Riku. Thanks."

And then he hugs me. I don't know what else to do, so I just hug him back.

And for once, we both have a real friend.

* * *

We spend the rest of the afternoon, just talking, laying on Sora's bed like a couple of sloths. We discuss what anyone else would; school, people we like and dislike, the future, money, girlfriends, who's dating who… that sort of thing. And then the topic of Maleficent comes up, and that immediately quiets me.

"You don't like her, do you?" asks Sora, giving his all-knowing laugh. He's so damn cocky sometimes, that I just want to punch him in the face. Sometimes he's worse than Kairi, and **that** is an achievement.

"Well, she's kind of a loser."

Sora frowns and moves to lay on his side. He props his spikey haired little head up with his hand, leaning on his elbow. "Why would you say that? Have you ever actually **talked** to her? Do you even know anything about her?"

I know that she's attempting to steal you away from me.

Akk.

Shaking that thought out of my head, I roll my eyes at Sora. For the first time today, I notice that his eyes aren't framed in black, as per usual. His eyes gleam, looking extremely noticeable on his small, pale face. Really, everything about Sora is small. Well, not small, just… _contained._

Sora's emotions are just sitting inside of a little box, desperately trying to escape. He's hiding something. I can feel it in the way that he moves, talks, looks at me, looks at Maleficent. There's something so buried inside of him, he's afraid to tell even his closest of friends.

But really, am **I** a close friend to Sora? No, I'm merely a new-found friend, attempting to gain access to the recesses of Sora's heart and find out what exactly is going on in his tormented soul. I don't think I deserve to know anything.

I'm torn away from my musing by Sora nudging my shoulder. "So, have you ever even said anything to her?"

"N-no. But she's a slob, she's boring, and she's a nerd. All she ever does is read!" Now, I have nothing against reading, but when it's your entire life, it's a little over the top, don't you think? Sora scoffed.

"Riku, you're so naïve!" And with this, my chestnut haired companion turns on his side of the bed, crosses his arms and makes a point that he doesn't want to look at me right now.

"What the fuck, Sora? Fine, I'll talk to her if it'll make you feel better, but I can't say I'll like her."

"No! It's not… that," mutters Sora, letting himself go limp again. He sighs into his pillow. "It's just like what happens with me. People judge you before they even know you. Most people think I'm just out for attention. People look at my appearance and immediately call me a 'poser goth', and think I'm stupid because of it. Really, what do they know about me? It's exactly what you're doing with Maleficent **right now.**"

Here I am, buried in this thick sludge called embarrassment. Now I feel like a total loser, because Sora is absolutely right. "I'm sorry. I didn't think about it that way," I mumble, reluctantly placing my hand on his turned shoulder.

"Well, you should have."

"I'm sorry."

Sora grumbles something that I can't hear, and once again turns to face me. But, this time, he cuddles himself up to me, lays his head on my chest and closes his eyes. Can we say **awkwardddd?** Well, evidently, Sora doesn't know the meaning of 'personal space'. Ah, it doesn't matter. It's not so bad. But for some reason, I feel like I'm cheating on Kairi.

"Tell me about your family," Sora whispers into my chest. I can barely pick up what he's saying. And my arm is sprawled out at an odd angle, so in order to fix my discomfort, the only way I can remain in a normal position is to have my arm wrapped around poor little Sora.

"My family? Why? They're a little boring," I say, laughing in spite of myself.

"No, no. It's alright. Boring is… fine."

So, I begin to tell him about how my mother can't really cook, and works most of the day. I tell her how she's rarely ever home, but when she is, it's great to have her around. I tell him about my father, how he's a much better cook than anyone else in our family, and he's where I got most of my features from. He's home earlier than my mother, usually, so I see him a lot more than her. Sora hasn't met Yuffie, so I tell him about her. I say how that she's a brat, she's spoiled and a nuisance, and generally, just a great little sister. Really, my family isn't all that boring put in to words.

But when I finish my great long speech about them, he's fast asleep, curled up against me. It's sweet in a morbid sort of way. I'm lucky Sora's a deep sleeper. The next instance would have woken him up.

There's a sharp tap on the door, that makes me jump slightly. I look to Sora, but thankfully, he's still asleep. It's good to see him getting some rest. He looks so tired all of the time. I slowly pull myself out from under him, and tip-toe my way over to the door. Ansem. Greaaaat. I have to deal with the 'jackass' myself. "May I talk to you for a while," he says, ever the android. I nod in agreement, and slowly let myself through the door, closing it behind me.

Upon the weird look I get from Ansem, I whisper; "He's sleeping."

"What… _activities_ were you doing with poor Sora all afternoon that would make him sleepy?" asks Ansem. I can feel my face going red, despite my innocence.

"Uh, sorry Mr. Ansem, sir. I, er, have a girlfriend. We didn't do anything. He was just really…" I get an even odder look from Ansem. "tired."

"Yes, I know. Sora does not sleep much," says Ansem, with a small look of distaste, like he had just eaten a burnt marshmallow. He leads me down the stairs, and takes me to the small living room that smells deeply of lavender. He wrinkles his nose. He mustn't like the smell. I don't mind it, really.

"What do you wanna talk to me about?" I ask, trying desperately not to make myself look like an idiot. I sat down on the sofa, sinking into the aged furniture. It was just like home.

"Well, Sora, really. How much has he told you about himself, thus far?"

"Um, just the basics, I guess. Why, what is there to tell?" I feel like a moron, I really do, staring down this high-class bastard. He must get his kicks out of intimidating people younger than him.

"Well, I do not want you interrogating Sora. He will tell you what he wants to. You are not allowed to put him under any stress whatsoever. If you ever do anything to hurt him, I will break every bone in your body and then I will feed you to my pit bull. Do I make myself perfectly clear?"

I swallow hard. What the fuck does he think I'm going to do? Stick Sora under a light, torture him until he confesses and then molest him? What the hell is with these people?

But, I say; "Crystal."

Ansem gives me a creepy, forced smile. "Good. You may leave now."

And I do.

And Sora will later wake up alone, wondering where his teddy-bear went.

* * *

d'aww, fluffy ending. ansem is sure fun to write. xD i get such a kick out of that guy. anyway, i really REALLY want to write a leon/sora or an axel/sora. nngh. i love those pairings. i'm really happy to get this old clunker up and running though, and i think i'll finish this before i start any more projects. i know what's going to happen next, and the plot is fully formed in my head.

FEED THE REVIEW BUTTON, OR NO MORE CHAPTERS. LOLLER.

no, i'm kidding.

**ansem's pit bull:** NO SHE'S NOT


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